Low levels of natural antibodies 'cause stroke'

LONDON: A new study says that, low levels of a certain type of antibody in the immune system may be one of the main reasons behind strokes.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden 've claimed that the findings would pave the way for the development of a new vaccine that can mobilise the body's own defense against arteriosclerosis & stroke.

In the study, the researchers focused exclusively on stroke -- a blood clot in the brain -- & compared 227 individuals who had suffered stroke over a 13yr. period with 445 sex & age-matched controls.

After controlling for other risk factors (age, sex, smoking habits, cholesterol levels, diabetes, BMI & blood pressure), they were able to show that low levels (<30% of avg.) of PC antibodies correlated with a higher risk of stroke, which in women meant a three-fold increase.

The researchers 've now advanced the hypothesis that low levels of natural PC antibodies contribute to development of arteriosclerosis & its consequences which include stroke.